Seven Weeks, Sixty-two Weeks and the 2300 Days

Part 2

Explainer:

This article is Part 2 of the last one titled “Replacement Theology . . .” I had to give this article a different title because, although it flows from the first, the focus has narrowed to this topic.

Background:

Evangelical social media has been humming lately with predictions of an upcoming rapture this fall, either on the Feast of Trumpets or Tabernacles. I was unaware this was going on until about a week ago. The reason for the spike in anticipation is the millennial week doctrine - the belief that the seventh millennium will start in 2031. Why 2031? It is believed to be the 2000th anniversary of the crucifixion and the start of the seventh millennium. Because Evangelicals believe in a seven-year tribulation period before Christ’s millennial reign, many expect the rapture in the next two months.

But, you’ll notice that 2025 is six years from 2031 rather than seven. This means that Evangelicals were already disappointed in 2024, and if you go to their YouTube channels and scan their old video titles, you can see that’s what happened. Since their disappointment last fall, they have regrouped and refocused on this year by making adjustments either to the year of crucifixion or adding onto the 2031 end year.

I reached out recently to a couple of the popular Evangelical YouTube hosts, saying I agree that some major event is coming, but pointed out that they are not taking the 2300 day prophecy into account which is connected to the Day of Atonement, the final Jubilee and the gospel harvest, and that before the harvest, the grain has to receive the latter rain. One host replied, saying he’ll look at my position later if he finds he’s mistaken and the other has not responded. I’m glad one of them is willing to look, but wouldn’t it be better to look at these things now rather than later?

This is the great cost of the pre-tribulation rapture: It has lulled thousands of American Christians into a carnal slumber, believing 1) that they can do without the latter rain, 2) that God will exempt them from the trying times ahead, and 3) that the ungodly who miss the Second Advent will have a second chance. Adventists, like myself, who agree that the seventh millennium is imminent, should learn from this and be all the more watchful for the latter rain, the stormy weather just ahead and raise a voice of warning against the pleasing delusion of a second probation.

Evangelicals and Millerites

What is interesting to me as an Adventist is that, similar to the Millerites, many Evangelicals believe and teach the seventh millennium will start on the Day of Atonement with the sounding of the Jubilee trumpet. Like the early Adventists, Evangelicals expect the temple to be cleansed on Yom Kippur. But unlike the Millerites, the Evangelicals believe the door of probation remains open for another 1000 years for those who are not raptured.

One reason for this is that they have ignored the 2300-day prophecy, which was the main pillar of the Millerite faith. The Millerites were consistent, observing that if the world is cleansed by fire at Christ’s return at the start of the seventh millennium, as Revelation says, then this is where the 2,300 days must end. The Millerites mistook the sanctuary of Daniel 8:14 to mean the earth rather than the heavenly temple where Christ ministers, and like the Evangelicals last year, they were disappointed.

But regarding the 2300 days, the Millerites were closer to the truth than they realized. The angel Gabriel says multiple times in Daniel 8 that the prophecy of the 2300 days applies to the end and since Ellen White believed and taught this¹, then we ought to have a second look. Remember, friends, the 2300 days is the heart of the Midnight Cry, which, according to the Spirit of Prophecy, lights the narrow path of end-time believers all the way to the Celestial City. (See Early Writings, Ellen White, Page 15.1)

The 2300 Days

According to Daniel 8:14, the 2300 days are the final period in human history when Christ completes his work of cleansing the sanctuary, His people. “Unto 2300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” This prophecy applies especially to the time of the latter rain when the sins of God’s people are blotted out on the antitypical Day of Atonement.

The Apostle Peter, in his second appeal to the Jews just after Christ’s ascension, entreated his brethren to repent. Why? To fit them for the refreshing and the final blotting out of sin. Acts 3:19. From the days of Pentecost under the early rain, the Apostles pointed forward to the final cleansing and blotting out of sin under the latter rain. Although Peter, in his second sermon, did not directly reference the 2300 days, the prophecy that most clearly pinpoints the final blotting out of sin and the cleansing of the sanctuary is Daniel 8:14.

The Scriptures say that not only can Christ cleanse and empower us to overcome, but He can and will empower us to do bold, latter-rain-magnitude exploits for his kingdom. The plan of redemption is so complete and powerful, it not only fully restores us to the image of God, it also exalts us to a higher plane than if we had not fallen. Through Christ, we are more than conquerors. Rom 8:37.

Seven Weeks and Sixty Two Weeks

In Part 1, I proposed that the seven-week prophecy of Daniel 9:25 applies to Pentecost because it foretells the coming of the Messiah, the Anointed One, seven weeks after probation closed on the city of Jerusalem and the temple veil was torn in two.

Know therefore and understand, that from the going out of the command to restore and to build Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in times of affliction. Dan 9:25 MKJV.

Seven weeks after His resurrection, Christ the Anointed One, was glorified at Pentecost as Prince of the hosts and dispensed the gifts of the Spirit to the church in the early rain. This marked the start of the church age when Christ builds up His saints into a holy temple.

But the same verse says that after another 62 weeks, 69 in total, the Anointed One will appear again, this time in latter rain power to finish the building. At this future and greater coronation of Christ, described in Revelation 4 to 8, He again sends His Spirit in royal bounty and in the gifts of the final refreshing. Thus, in the prophecy of Daniel 9, the Messiah returns twice, once after seven weeks, Pentecost, the early rain, and then again after sixty-nine weeks (7+62=69) at the refreshing of the latter rain to complete and cleanse His church.

Seventy Sabbaticals and Seventy Jubilees

In earlier articles, I’ve proposed that the seventy weeks of Daniel 9 have a dual application: In the first application, they are 70 Sabbaticals of 490 years, the probationary time of the Jews. But the Hebrew word for “week” can refer to any group of seven, so in the second application, they are 70 Jubilees², the probationary time of all of God’s people, Jews and Gentiles. Based on chronology and the known Sabbatical years, the 70^th Jubilee will begin on the Day of Atonement in 2029 and end a year later on the Day of Atonement, October 7, 2030. If the 2300 days are literal and end here, then they started on June 20, 2024, and 69 weeks later is the 8^th day of Tabernacles, October 15, 2025.³ Since Christ in John 7:29 associated the last day of Tabernacles with the outpouring of the Spirit, this harvest feast is a front-running candidate for the start of the refreshing, whether this fall or a following year.

June 20, 2024

What additional evidence is there that June 20, 2024 marked the start of the 2300 days? For one thing, June 20, was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Two months earlier, on April 8, 2024, on the eve of the Hebrew New Year, a solar eclipse crossed the US, which was the most widely viewed celestial event in US history. The Moon's shadow of totality, one hundred miles wide, traveled over the homes of 31 million Americans for 1,894 miles from Texas to Maine. Millions more traveled to the path to view it. It could be a coincidence, but in my opinion, we are justified in considering a biblical-scale celestial event like this as a divine harbinger when the Scripture specifically testifies that God made the celestial bodies for signs and seasons. Gen 1:14.

Add to this the fact that on October 14, 2023, six months before the 2024 eclipse, another rare eclipse began in Oregon and tracked over 1,300 miles diagonally across the western states through Texas into the Gulf of America, aka the Gulf of Mexico. This one passed over less populated areas, but millions saw it. Its path was at right angles to the 2024 path, forming an X over America.

One week before, on October 7, 2023, the Gaza war began with the invasion of Hamas into Israel and the slaughter of over 1000 innocent civilians. Since then the US backed conflict has grown into multiple conflicts with Israel engaging Hezbollah, Lebanon, Syria, the Houthis, Iran and other terrorist factions.

In Leviticus 26, the Lord lovingly warned that He would chastise His people seven times for transgressing His law. William Miller, for a number of reasons, believed the seven times of Leviticus 26 referred to seven years. Although few agree with him today, I find Miller’s scriptural proofs to be sound. Recently, I noticed that October 7, 2023, is seven years from the end of the 70^th Jubilee, October 7, 2030, the Day of Atonement. Given the prophetic warning of Leviticus 26, what does that portend for spiritual Israel, the state of Israel, and its ally, America?

2030 vs. 2031

If the 2030 Yom Kippur marks the close of the 70^th Jubilee, then the door of probation remains open for some until that time. In the case of the Jews in Christ’s day, the door of probation remained open for the nation until the close of the seventieth Sabbatical, 34 AD. In the same way, the door of probation for God’s people remains open until the end of the seventieth Jubilee, 2030. The call to come out of Babylon ends then, and the seven last plagues follow, which last until sometime in 2031, a year later, more or less. The plagues are followed by Christ's second advent which is followed by His millennial reign with the redeemed.

Conclusion - the Essential Refreshing

Before the harvest, the latter rain is essential to mature and ripen the grain. At the upcoming Feast of Trumpets, I'm looking for an earth-shaking event, literal and/or spiritual, that awakens the sleeping virgins who trim their lamps, preparing themselves to be filled with the oil of the latter rain at Tabernacles when the final harvest begins. Whether that happens this fall, before or after, let’s do our part, dear brothers and sisters, to remain watchful so that we find ourselves among the wise virgins who receive the Spirit and light our Bridegroom’s way to the wedding with the final gospel invitation, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." In doing this, we not only light the path for others, we light it for ourselves, and, if we do this joyfully and unselfishly, we will glorify God which is a pleasing aroma of gratitude to Him for His infinite love and mercy to each of us.

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Endnotes:

1. “The time has come for Daniel to stand in his lot. The time has come for the light given him to go to the world as never before. If those for whom the Lord has done so much will walk in the light, their knowledge of Christ and the prophecies relating to Him will be greatly increased as they near the close of this earth’s history.” (Manuscript 176, 1899). {4BC 1174.4}

2. A Jubilee is seven Sabbaticals in length, 49 years. Seventy Jubilees is 3430 years. Click here for a spreadsheet with more information.

3. Modern Jewish rabbis say the 8th day, the 22nd of the seventh biblical month, is not part of the Feast of Tabernacles, that it is a separate holy day. The scripture, however, not only makes it part of the feast, it makes it the climax. In John’s gospel, the eighth day is called the “great day” of the feast. “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” Joh 7:37 KJV. The last day of Tabernacles is the eighth and the greatest day, because the law says:

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. Lev 23:34-36 KJV.

It’s hard to see how the modern Jews could be so wrong. They usually come close regarding the calendar and feasts. However, they do correctly teach that this day marks the beginning of Israel's rainy season. Special prayers for rain (Tefillat Geshem) are recited, acknowledging the need for God's blessing for the upcoming agricultural year.

Regarding the calculation of 22^nd day of the seventh Hebrew month in 2025, the rabbis place it on October 14, one day early, in my opinion. But they could be right.

The biblical day count is inclusive. In non-inclusive date calculators such as TimeAndDate.com, the number of days has to be reduced by one to yield the biblical count.